Wednesday, November 9, 2016

In Their Own Words: Focused on My Success

[knocking on hotel room door]John: Who is it? [looks through the peephole]The Magician: It is I, good sir, the Magician.John: [opens door] OK, I’m confused. How did you know I was here?The Magician: You’d be surprised at what I know. Can I come in?John: Sure, why not? [Magician enters] So you know why I am here. Why are you here?The Magician: Excellent question, good fellow. I’m here to remind you to prepare for your presentation on the tarot Friday morning. The more focused you are, the better you’ll perform. John: You guys don’t like, I don’t know, sending emails?The Magician: I'm more inspiring to see me in the flesh, so to speak. John: I really don’t have time to talk to you right now. I’m here for the conference and I sort of have dinner plans. The Magician: Nonsense! I’m sure whoever it is can wait for a few minutes. You need to be downright impressive, John. I can help you blow them away on Friday. John: No pressure or anything, right? I didn’t mention needing assistance. What are you going to do, wave your magic wand and say "Speak well!"?The Magician: [frowns] I was hoping you’d be a little more serious about this. If you screw up it makes all of us look bad, and that's not happening, not on my watch!John: I don’t think you get it, sir. I really don’t. I have a schedule. I take appointments. People just don’t show up uninvited when I’m at a conference to “inspire” me. So that will explain at least some of my discontent. The other part of it would be the whole showing up and giving help that was unsolicited. That makes me angry and if you're looking for me to be confident, that's not the way to encourage me. The Magician: So in other words, you don’t want to be successful if it cuts into dinner time? That sounds like a cop-out to me. And don't try to tell me you're angry when people try to help. Tell me at least you're going to run it again before Friday, right? Remember, “proper planning prevents poor performance”!John: Really, dude? You want to inspire me with…platitudes? The Magician: You can choose to listen to me or not, John. John: No, actually, if I want to be polite I sort of had to listen to you. No one can ever say I'm not polite when various and sundry archetypes come to visit me without asking first. So bottom line it for me, will you? I'm starving.The Magician: Let nothing get in the way of your focused intent, John. Didn’t you ever hear that?John: Well my focused intent is to walk my happy ass out this door and get some food with someone I’m meeting for the first time. That’s the action that I’m going to undertake. As long as you’re paying for your own part, you can come along. I haven’t sold enough books yet to pay for what would be a truly inspiring meal, I’m sure. The Magician: Totally unnecessary. I have no desire to join you and hear you and your friend talk in that astro-babble language I heard all over the lobby on my way in. John: Good! Then unless you’re going to magically put my clothes away, I suspect you’ll be leaving now.The Magician: No one to pick up in this place, anyway. I’ll head over to the mall and hang outside the Lush store or Bath and Body Works. Chicks dig that stuff. John: [opens door] Happy hunting.The Magician: See you again soon! [walks away]John: I have got to stop telling people where I am on social media!